Electric clock-winding mechanism



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

M. V. B. ETHRIDGE & J. H. EASTMAN. ELECTRIC CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM.

Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. V. B. ETHRIDGE & J. H. EASTMAN.

' ELECTRIC CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM.

No. 536,926. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN V. B. ETHRIDGE, OF EVERETT, AND JOSEPH H. EASTMAN, OF BOS- TON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE CENTURY CLOCK COMPANY, OF NORTH BERWICK, MAINE.

ELECTRIC CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,926, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed April 28, 1894- Serial No. 509,326. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: We desire it understood that we do not limit Be 1t known that we, MARTIN V. B. ETH- ourselves to the particular time train here '0 RIDGE, of Everett, in the county of Middlesex, shown, and may use any other with which and JOSEPH H. EASTMAN, of Boston, in the our said improvements are capable of use.

5 county of Suffolk, in the State of Massachuit represents a barrel which is mounted setts, have invented. certain new and useful loosely upon the arborc', and contains aspi- Improvements in Clocks, of which the followral spring 2', the outer end of which is affixed 5 5 2 is a specification. to said barrel, while the inner end is affixed This invention has for its object, first, to to the arbor c, the said spring constituting a provide a simple and accurate time moveconnection between the barrel and the arbor ment, the impelling power of which shall be 0, so that power is imparted to the arbor constant, so that there will be no variation in through said spring. Affixed rigidly to the the time-keeping qualities caused by variabarrel 7?. is a ratchet h. tions in the strength or force of the motor, 7t represents a pawl mounted upon an arm 15 and, secondly, to provide improved means for j, which is adapted to oscillate on the arbor c.

automatically maintaining the force which The arm j is weighted, so that when raised impels the said movement. and then allowed to descend by gravitation,

Theinvention consistsin theimprovements it will impart to the barrel hand spring 2',

which we will now proceed to describe and through the pawl 76 and ratchet h, a suffi- 20 claim. cient force to compress the spring *6 and im- Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part through the latter and the arbor c a sufpart of this specification, Figure 1 represents ficient force to impel the time train, the spring aside view of a part of a clock movement embeing compressed by the described action of bodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents an the arm j, so that it is in effect a rigid con- 25 edge View of the same. Fig.3 represents a nection between the barrel and the arbor section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 repre- 0' during the downward movement of said sents asection on line i:---4of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 arm. Vhen the arm j is raised, the ratchet 7 to 9, inclusive, represent views of our imh is prevented from rotating backward by proved mechanismfor maintaining the opera a stop pawl m engaged with it as shown in 0 tion of the time movement. Fig. 1, so that the spring 2' is caused to The same letters of reference indicate the act upon the arbor c, and continues the same parts in all the figures. rotation of said arbor and of the other ar- 80 In carrying out our invention, we provide bors of the train. It will be seen, therefore, a time train which as here shown, comprises a that power is applied continuously to the 5 center arbor a; a center wheel b on said artrain, first by the direct action of the arm j, bor; a pinion 0, usually known as the third and then by the action of the spring, the arm pinion, affixed to an arbor c, carrying a gear and spring acting alternately. The arm may wheel 0 known as the third wheel; a pinion be operated by means of a connecting-rod n 61 known as the fourth pinion, meshing with engaged with the lower end of the slide, said 40 the third wheel 0 a wheel d known as the rod being connected with a suitable motor fourth wheel, affixed to the arbor d carrying adapted to alternately raise and release it. the pinion d; a pinion e aflixed to the arbor A motor suitable for this purpose is shown in e which carries the escape wheel e and a Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive, in which 0 represents a pallet g; balance wheel g; and hair spring g horizontal shaft journaled in fixed bearings 45 controlling the movement of the said train. 19 p 19. To said shaft is affixed an armature The parts above mentioned eompriseasimg which is formed to oscillate between the ple train adapted for use in connection with curved pole pieces 0" r of the electro-magnet 5 our improvements hereinafter described; but r r Said magnet is included in an electric circuit, which also includes a battery or other source of electricity. To the shaft 0 is atfixed an arm .9 to which the rod 07. is pivotally connected.

\Vhen the circuit is closed and the electromagnet energized, the poles r r attract the armature q, giving the latter and the shaft 0 a movement which raises the arm 3 and rod it, thus raising the weighted arm 9'. This movement of the shaft also causes a circuit controller carried thereby to break the circuit, so that as soon as the rod n and arm are raised, the armature is released by the magnet, and permits the descent of said arm and rod, the armature being thus gradually moved away from the poles 0" r. I When the arm j and rod 11 have reached the lowest point in their movement, the circuit controller acts to close the circuit, and thus cause the up ward movement of the rod 12 and armj. The operation is thus continued, the magnet being energized at the end of each downward movement of the weighted armj and demagnetized at the end of each upward movement, so that said arm is alternately raised and released, with the result above described.

WVe prefer to employ as the circuit controller a bodyt of metallic mercury, a hermetically sealed glass tube t inclosing said body, and contact wires u. u included in the circuit and projecting into the tube t. The tube 25 is arranged so that when the weighted armj and rod a reach the lower end of their movement the body i will gravitate to the position shown in Figs. 7 and S, and establish an electrical connection between the wires to it, thus closing the circuit. WVhen the arm j and rod 01 reach the upper end of their movement the tube t is inclined as shown in Fig. 9, thus separating the body if from the wires to u and breaking the circuit.

The tube '6 is held in a ring or clamp t affixed to the shaft 0, and may be readily removed from said clamp, so that a new circuit controller may be applied in case of necessity. Air is exhausted from the tube to prevent oxidation of the mercury. As the wires u 11/ necessarily have an oscillating motion, it is desirable to connect them with the fixed parts of the circuit, by means which will offer practically no resistance to said motion. To this end We connect the wires u u with metallic collars c '0 attached to the shaft 0 and insulated therefrom by insulating collars c (Fig. 7), and employ springs 10 w bearing on said collarst o and connected with fixed parts of the circuit.

The weighted arm j may be termed a primary motor, and the spring 1; may be termed a secondary motor, through which power is transmitted from the train to the primary motor, said secondary motor acting on the train when the primary motor is being set for action; orin other words, when the armj is being raised.

It will be seen that the shaft 0, arm 8, and

rod 02 constitutea mechanical connection between the armature and the primary motor, whereby the action of the armature when the circuit is closed is caused to set the motor for action, and that said shaft, arm, and rod constitute also a mechanical connection between the motor and the circuit controller, whereby the motor is caused, after it has been set, to again close the circuit, so that the action of the armature in setting the motor breaks the circuit, while the action of the motor closes the circuit.

Vi e believe it to be new with us to combine with a time train a motor such as the weighted arm j, a train impelling spring adapted to be wound by the action of said arm, an electric circuit including an electro-magnet, an armature controlled bysaid magnetand mechanically connected with the motor so that the movement of the armature caused by its attraction to the poles of the magnet sets the motor for action, and a circuit controller also mechanically connected with the motor and with the armature, and adapted to be operated by the motor to close the circuit when the motor has nearly spent its force, and by the armature to break the circuit after the motor has been set. WVe do not, therefore,limit ourselves to the mechanical details of construction hero shown, and may vary and depart from the same without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim- 1. The combination, with a time train, of a motor, an electric circuit including an electro-magnet, an armature controlled by said magnet, a circuit controller composed of a hermetically closed tube mechanically connected with the armature, a gravitating circuit closing and breaking device, and circuit terminals within said tube, and mechanical connections between the motor and the connected armature and circuit controller, through which the motor is set for action by the armature when the circuit is closed, and the circuit controller is caused to close the circuit when the motor is expending its force, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a time train, of a motor, an electric circuitincluding an electro-magnet, a shaft provided with an armature, a circuit controller supported by said shaft and composed of an exhausted tube, a gravity circuit closing and breaking device in said tube, and circuit terminals connected with the tube, insulated collars on said shaft connected with said terminals, springs bearing on said collars and connected with fixed parts of the circuit, and mechanical connec tions between the shaft and motor, as set forth.

3. A circuit controller composed of an exhausted tube of insulating material, circuit wires projecting into the tubeand normally separated and insulated from each other thereby, and a gravity circuit closing and connecting said arm with the weightj, and a circuit controller actuated by the movements r5 of said shaft as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence 01': two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of April, A. D. 1894:.

MARTIN V. B. ETHRIDGE. JOSEPH H. EASTMAN.

Vitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER. 

